


From Dusk, To Dawn

by opheliasheart



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-19 15:38:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3615258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opheliasheart/pseuds/opheliasheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The area grew darker and yet more alive with the sounds of the forest, creatures of the night taking over watch from those of the day. The tweeting grew silent but the low buzzing of wings accompanied the loud noises of the gathered clans.</p><p>"We will save our people Clarke. It is what we were born to do."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Inevitable

Dusk. The area grew darker and yet more alive with the sounds of the forest, creatures of the night taking over watch from those of the day. The tweeting grew silent but the low buzzing of wings accompanied the loud noises of the gathered clans. Clouds rolled over the hills in the distance, slowly blanketing the forest in a fine rain. It was just enough to soak the guards standing outside a large tent near the rear of the camp. From inside, busy voices and commands could be heard among the thuds of heavy boots.

  
Clarke Griffin entered and scanned the tent, surveying the attending leaders of the nearest clans able to assist in the assault on Mount Weather, who merely glanced in her direction before continuing their discussions. All but one. The commanders eyes remained on her and she gave a soft nod to Clarke, acknowledging her presence before tilting her head slightly and signalling for the young woman to join her near the centre.

  
"Come Clarke, we have much to discuss." Lexa stated and looked down at the table in front of her. Upon it, maps of the local area and the blueprints of Mount Weather (provided by the Skai Kru) had been laid out. Clark joined them, standing by Lexa's side.

  
"Raven's sent word that she has been able to create another device to stall the Reapers. That makes three." Clarke spoke clearly, delivering the message to the group with an air of authority. "That means that each group will now have one when we make our move on Mount Weather. Indra, with Octavia, will take the first and Lincoln will lead them though the tunnels."

  
"Crone will lead the attack from the west, taking the second. That leaves you and I to lead from the front with the final device. This plan will work, provided your friend can disable the fog." Lexa gave Clarke a reassuring nod. "What of the radios? Did Raven say if your idea would work?"

  
"What idea?" an aggressive voice called from the far corner of the table. A large, muscular man stepped forward revealing dark hair and piercing brown eyes surrounded by traditional black war paint. Lexa turned her head and glared at the grounder. She received little response which caused maddened look to be sent to a guard standing just behind. He took a quiet step towards the grounder.

  
"I asked Raven to looked into the systems used by the Mountain Men to block outside radio signals." Clarke's eyes flickered to different faces in the room, not unaware of the guards movement, to insure she had their attention. "When we cut the power and activate the back up generators, certain parts of the system will be cut off to from the power supply to allow more energy for the systems necessary to preserve life. She confirmed my theory that the same energy that powers the defense systems, like the acid fog, also power the radio blocker. When the shift happens, the power to the blocker will be cut. After Raven has gotten rid of the generators, we'll be able to use our radios during the battle if we need to."

  
"All three groups will take a radio. Leaving the final one for Clarke's friend to take with her to the generator room. Communication will be vital during this battle. The Skai Kru's idea will make this less difficult." The commander added, subtly trying to re-enforce their alliance with Clarke's people and that, for the time being, they were working together. She waved her hand to dismiss the group. "That is it for now. Gon we."

  
As the grounders left, Clarke felt eyes watching her. The large grounder that was once standing at the corner, gave her a final heated look before exiting the tent.

  
"Kamp raun em." Clarke heard Lexa say behind her. As she turned, the guard gave her a nod and followed the others out leaving them in peace. Lexa sighed, walking to a chair behind the table and sitting down. "Vorsche of the Lake Kru will not bother you, Clarke."

  
"He does not worry me, Lexa." Clarke replied with a shrug. She took a moment to look around the tent and take in the past few days. Her mother and Kane were back at Camp Jaha, doing as much as they can to prepare for the fight. Not that her mother was entirely happy with the plan. This, however, no longer bothered her. She knew this was the right thing. No amount of negotiating would prevent the slaughter of her people, her friends. So this was the next thing. All outsiders performing an assault on the bunker, whilst inside her people revolt, taking what weapons they can to aid themselves and freeing the army that lays locked away in wait. Caught up in her own thoughts, she does not realise Lexa is calmly observing her.

  
"Clarke, I do not lie to you when I say it will work." Clarke train of thought is broken and the commander watched as her eyes focus once more on her. "We will save our people Clarke. It is what we were born to do."

  
"I'm not so sure I was born for this." Clarke watches as Lexa is about to interrupt her and speaks before she can. "However, after we landed... I... I felt a huge wave of excitement, taking my first step from the ship onto the ground. Being surrounded by trees and feeling the dirt beneath my feet felt amazing. I watched the others jump around with excitement. Running, shouting, smiling. Just enjoying being home. Earth is our home. The joy to be back on the ground, after generations of us have been locked up on the Arc, is unbelievable. But quickly, things changed and I knew what needed to happen next. This is our home but we had no house, no food or water. Just a map that told us where we should actually have landed. I knew what needed to be done. I was raised to help people, watched how others lead and made decisions. All of that made me who I am now."

  
"Maybe." Lexa added simply. She looked at Clarke, taking in the features of the young woman. Blonde hair, half pulled back away from her face, clear blue eyes peer back from her soft, round face. Even in the short time they had known each other, Lexa knew there was a connection between them. It was something she was unsure of. There were so many layers to the relationship that they shared, defining it would surely be impossible. Now though, in this moment, she could feel a pull towards her. Like gravity pulling her to the Earth, something was drawing her to Clarke and it felt inevitable.

  
The image of Costia's still and battered body flickered into her mind and she shuddered, shutting her eyes tight. She took a quick, deep breath and re opened them. Clarke watched her with concern, her eyebrows drawn together. Before she could say anything, Lexa had risen from her chair and took a few steps towards Clarke.

  
"Clarke of the Sky People, would you like to join me for dinner?" This brought a smile to the young woman's face.

  
"It would be an honour, Heda." Lexa lead her out of the tent and into the chill of the night.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. I hope you enjoyed this. If you spot any mistakes please let me know! Also let me know what you think of this first chapter, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Kate.


	2. Radio Silence

 

A young woman sits at a large table, covered by paper, scraps of metal and a blow torch. Twiddling a pencil between her fingers, she tries to think of the easiest way to bring the objective to life. Chemical names run through Raven's head, only to be cross checked with her mental inventory and scrubbed away. She lets out a heavy sigh, dropping the pencil to the table top and tugs the tie out of her long, dark brown hair. She runs her fingers through it and pulls at the ends, a sign of frustration. To allow Clarke and Lexa's attack on Mount Weather they had to first, take out the acid fog. Secondly, she needed to think of the quickest and most effective way to take out the nuclear bunkers main power supply - an explosion like the previous should suffice. Third is her escape plan, but that is too far away for her to consider in the present time. Her sole focus needs to be on getting them inside.

Raven releases another sigh and glances out the large glass window, revealing the ominous dark clouds that were threatening the camp with a heavy downpour. The young woman decides to move to the glass board and throw any possible ideas up for consideration because until Bellamy has eyes on the machines themselves, she was blind. She needs to know what chemicals were being used to prevent blowing the whole place, and not just disabling them.

"Or maybe that's just it..." Raven says aloud to herself. She quickly ties her hair back up and turned back to the blue prints laying on the table. "What if-"

"Talking to yourself again?" A voice came from the doorway, causing her to jump and turn to the unexpected visitor. Or maybe she should have expected to see the humorous grin on Wick's face. "First sign of madness."

"If madness is the price for getting us on the other side of Mount Weather's front door, I'll take it." She snaps back,  now refocused on the table with her finger running along the lines representing the piping. Wick rolls his eyes and approaches the table.

"Did you find something?" He asks, biting his tongue to prevent a sarcastic comeback as he senses she was not in the playful sort of mood. Raven glances up at him before pointing to the piping.

"Look at this schematic. Tell me what you see." Wick looks down to the faded diagram.

"It's... piping. No details are given on the chemicals used, no details on the processing." Kyle pauses, realising she's spotted something they must have missed. "What am I looking for?"

"See the loop on the right?" She points to the far section. "Most plausible reason to have a loop through with this type of machinery, is to clean it - to help with maintenance. To do that they would have to..."

"Neutralise it."

"Bingo." Wick fills the blanks in his mind but frowns.

"That's great. We can neutralise it, but we still don't know how. We have no clue of the process or the settings. We need Bellamy in that room, with eyes on the control panel." Wick explains his thoughts, a plan beginning to form in his head. "He'll have to dismantle it after too. We can't risk them sending someone to fix it."

"Don't worry, he can do that. Though I have a feeling they'll be a little too busy to worry about it. That's if we time it right though." Raven smiles for the first time that day, allowing the small relief to straighten her tense, hunched form and relax her shoulders. Even though it wasn't much, it was a starting point. The ball was now in Bellamy's court.

They began tossing around ideas of systems, compounds and neutralisation processes, making notes on the board. Around 20 minutes later Abby Griffin walks into the room.

"Have you found anything yet?" She questions.

"We have a basic idea, but we're waiting to hear from Bellamy before we move forward with anything." Raven begins. They carry on explaining their partial plan to Abby, who patiently listens and nods to show her understanding.

"So once it is done, we will make our way to the opposite side of the mountain and prepare ourselves in the generator room. As soon as defences are down, in that time gap, they must be ready to blow that door open." Raven finishes, earning a final nod from the chancellor.

"Ok, so plan is beginning to come together then." Abby glances at the radios sitting on the table in the far corner of the room. "I presume you're going to send them with the explosives and your update soon."

"Yes. They will be gone soon. We just want to do a final check on the battery packs, then they are good to go." Wick replies.

"When do you expect Bellamy to make contact?" They both glance at each other before looking back to the chancellor.

"We don't know. Since the last time he checked in, he was supposed to meet with Jasper and the group inside and tell them the plan. Then it was straight to the control room to disable the acid fog. That was 4 and a half hours ago." Once Raven had finished, Abby looked at her watch, it was now 10:45pm. Darkness surrounds the grounds of Camp Jaha, except for the few flood lights saved from the wreckage, and it was quiet as most had retired to their beds. The few that remain are guards on watch and a few restless hands, trying to focus their nervous energy on something beneficial.

"There's not much we can do for now then. Send those things out as soon as you've checked them, then get some rest. I don't like people travelling through the forest at night, but we need to be prepared to act as soon as the signal can be given." She orders.

"Yes ma'am." Wick replies, whilst Raven just nods to show her understanding. Abby gives them a small, tired smile before leaving the room.

 

-

 

Bellamy walks towards the large double door at the end of the concrete corridor. He had been systematically working his way through this floor, checking behind every door trying to find this room that could house the acid fog. Clarke's discarded map was partially helpful to begin with as it identified the additional floor but offered no help as to what it contained.

Once he had been reunited with the rest of the remaining 100 and introduced to a few of the people that inhabited Mount Weather, Bellamy had given them the outline of the plan. In return, he gained some information from Vincent Vie about the unlabeled floor Clarke had added to the map. He mentioned it housing the mechanical equipment that kept Mount Weather inhabitable for them, along with a promise to keep his friends as safe as possible. They briefly discussed potential meet up points, along with the options of gathering what weapons they can scavenge without attracting attention, and rotating those in hiding whilst waiting for the signal to move. Maya was to lead a small group to the caged  Grounders, doing what they can to prepare them for the tough fight ahead. Soon enough, he was walking alone once more.

The retrofit routes had proven to be successful so far, only coming across one lone mechanic who turned to enter a room before spotting Bellamy. Now, standing just a foot away from the door, Bellamy reached to grab the handle when a door opens. Heavy footsteps emerge from the smaller adjoining corridor to the right, followed by a deep voice.

"Hey! Have you seen Anglia walk past?" Bellamy's hand is on the handle of the door and he freezes. Fight or flight. He takes a deep breath and straightens up a little before turning towards the guards. They look at him expectantly, now a few yards away. Bellamy glances down the hall, he can see no extra guards, just the two standing in front of him. He clears his throat.

"He went that way." Pointing to the way he came, hoping that it would be enough. The small nod he receives in return sends a wave of relief through his body, he had to remind himself to keep still. They share no more words and the guards walk past and down the concrete corridor. Bellamy turns back to the door and enters a large room, atop a metal platform.

"Wait!" Bellamy hears the words of a guard behind him. Panic surges through him. He quickly slams the door closed and sprints down the metal staircase, into the large maze of vats and pipes. He dodges round several corners of tanks when he hears the thunder of the guards boots against the steps. He reaches another staircase and ascends to the next level, darting to the left at the top, then right down a dark corridor.

Whilst pausing to catch his breath, he can hear the guards have stopped not far away, one on the radio giving an out of breath message about pursuing an expected intruder. Bellamy looks around him quickly and spies a vent above that continues through a wall to the left and into another room. He quickly enters and closes the door behind him, dragging a heavy metal storage unit in front. Above him, the vent continues across the ceiling, through the wall and into the next room. Bellamy takes in his surroundings. It is a small storage room filled with a few shelved units, full boxes are stacked in one corner and 2 empty crates sit against the left wall. A table covered in odd screws, bolts and papers sit in the other corner, on the far side.

Bellamy grabs the table and pulls it to the other side of the room, below the vent. He reaches up and pushes the grate up and into the vent, before grabbing the edge and pulling himself up. He replaces it and begins to crawl, hoping he was going in the direction he needed. Each time he passes a grate, he would look through to see where he is and continue.

Finally, just 10 minutes later, he looks through the next vent. Below he sees a long room with a large container running along the side. Directly below him is a raised platform to make the door accessible. His eyes scan the room and he listens for any sign of movement. From what he can see, there is no one there. He removes the final grate and holds onto the edge of the vent, lowering himself to hang and then drops into the room below.

The gun is pulled immediately from his pocket and he scans the room once more. It's silent apart from the low hum of the machinery at work. He steps to the side and smashes a panel of safety glass, pulling the axe from inside its box and using it to secure the door. Now this was progress. He taps the button on his earpiece, radioing through to Raven back at Camp Jaha.

"Raven can you hear me?" He pauses, taking in the room in front of him. "Rav-"

"Bellamy?" Raven responds.

"Yep. I've found the maintenance room. I hope you know how to turn this thing off."

Back at Camp Jaha, Raven's moving to the board, eyes scanning the words in front of her. Wick leisurely walks in with 2 cups of juice in his hands left from breakfast, and places them on the table. Raven turns and points to the radio in her hand and waves him over.

"We've got an idea. Tell me what you see."

"There's a large tank that runs along the side of the room and it looks like there are pipes that connect it to the floor. There's a monitor near to it." Wick scans the plans pinned up, it looks like a match so far. He takes the radio from Raven.

"Go to the monitor." Raven glares at him for snatching it off of her.

"Hello to you too."

"Hi cowboy. What does the monitor say?" They wait for Bellamy to respond.  Wick taps his finger against the radio impatiently and  Raven continues to glare at him before she slaps his arm and takes it back. They listen to Bellamy run through the main options on the screen.

"Bellamy, look for anything that could take us to the maintenance system." Many heavy sighs and an 'oo, try that' later, they finally find that Raven was right. Neutralization is part of the acid fog's maintenance/safeguarding system. Raven's eyes widen with hope that they have found a way to stop the fog. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Do it Bellamy."

"Ok." Raven and Wick are once again left in a heavy silence, nerves and excitement building. A minute feels like forever when the fate of their friends fall on this one defence.

"I can hear something happening." He says through the radio.

"You should be able to hear the pumps working. As they work to neutralize the acid, the needle of the dial on screen should move." Another almost painful minute passes.

"It's moving! The needles moving. 4... 5..." An excited smile creeps onto Raven's face, Wick grabs her hand. "And... It's done!"

"Yes!" They both shout, Wick tugs at her hand and pulls her to him. Raven's smile falters as she looks up and he begins to lean down. Realising what he's about to do, she pushes her hand against his chest, pushing him away. His smile disappears and a heavy frown takes its place.

"Raven-" He begins, but she shakes her head and looks down to the radio, avoiding his gaze. Wick straightens a little, letting out a mix of a sigh and a laugh. With a sad smile on his face, he turns and leaves the room. Raven allows her eyes to watch him as he retreats from the room and feels the guilt begin to creep into her mind.

Finn's face quickly flashes through her mind, her heart clenches as she remembers the betrayal and the broken trust that lay with the shattered pieces of their relationship. No. She would not feel guilty. She stamps it down in her mind, reassuring herself it was ok to not be ready. She did not do anything to suggest she was interested in Kyle and whether or not she had feelings or the relationship could develop, Raven was not ready. And that was ok. There was enough going on around her as it was. She's starts to come out from her internal debate when her senses are pulled back to the voice calling out to her.

"Hello? Guys come on, I don't have much time." Bellamy's impatient voice calls from the radio.

"Sorry Bell. What about dismantling the monitor?" Raven questions.

"Could I just smash it to pieces?"

"That could work. As long as the wires are severed, we should be in the clear. No power will hopefully mean no communication." Raven nods, thinking about the potential connections the monitor could have and shrugging to herself. "If not, having it smashed to pieces increases the recovery time of the machine and we need to take all the time that we can get."

"Sold." He simply replies. Raven waits in silences, allowing herself to imagine Bellamy delivering violent blows to a machine and distract herself from her previous, vindictive thought train. An out of breath voice breaks the hiss of the radio. "Ok. It's done. I've got to admit, I enjoyed that." A light laugh rings around room in Camp Jaha, Raven joins him.

"A little destruction never hurt anyone!" Raven replies.

"An important message from the Queen of combustion."

"Exactl-"

"Shit! Someone's trying to get in." Bellamy's hushed voice comes through the radio. Raven felt panic course through her.

"Bellamy?" Raven's voice remains calm, covering the internal storm that is beginning to form. This is it. It's happening.

"Send the flare. I've got to go."

Radio silence. The hiss echoes around the room and Raven is frozen, the machine still in hand. It's begun. Suddenly she twists and walks as quickly as she can to the door, grabbing the awaiting flare gun that sits on the counter to the side. Her heavy footsteps bounce off the metal walls, down the corridor as she navigates the maze of corridors and emerges in the bright, morning sunlight. She continues forward to the middle of the enclosed area, points the gun to sky and pulls the trigger.

A loud bang echoes throughout the area, causing the birds in the woods to take flight and the survivors in Camp Jaha to  turn to the sudden loud noise. Raven looks up and watches the flare fly high up into the sky and explode into a plume of red smoke. She pulls another flare from her pocket and places it in the now empty chamber. Wide eyes watch the scene, frozen in recognition that finally, the crucial signal was being sent. Another loud bang echoes through the area, only this time it's followed by stillness.

 

-

 

The rising sun shone down on the large camp, replacing the fine rain that had soaked the forest the previous night. The ground was still damp but the sun's rays were warm and it took the edge from the cool air that hung around in the early hours of the morning. Though it was a welcome change, it did not do much to raise moral. Guards quietly paced at their posts, looking out into the quiescent woods. Their trust in the Commander never wavered but with war imminent, it was natural to become restless. 

The first thing Clarke notices as she comes to, is the sound of the Trikru busily preparing for the day. Heavy boots pound against the forest floor. The clanking of heavy metal can be heard in the distance as they begin to train. Low muffled voices can be heard greeting each other or discussing the arrangements for the day. Next is the scent of the forest. Having been cleaned by the rain the night before, there was a distinct freshness to the smell of the trees and wildlife that seeps into her tent. Finally, her eyes slowly flicker open, adjusting to the light of the morning.

Clarke climbs out bed and groggily begins to prepare for the day, having slept fitfully the night before. Potential flaws in their plans kept her awake, working through them all trying to find solutions that would remedy the situation with the least casualties. Lexa's words offered her a brief respite during their time together the previous evening, with her reassuring words and presence, that for some reason made her feel a little safer. She chose to ignore the thoughts that  began to invade her mind once she had retired to her bed after dinner, favouring the mental onslaught of all the things that could possibly go wrong rather than the complexities of her emotions.

She makes her way across the medium sized tent to the basin of water that had been left out for her, strips off her clothes from the previous day and begins to wash. The water is cold against her skin and causes goose bumps to appear over her body as she drags the small cloth over her face first, before gradually making her way down her body. Clarke shivers in the morning air and quickly pulls on the clean clothes that sat neatly folded on the chair beside her. She wears black pants, a simple long sleeved grey top and a warm coat that came down over her thighs, not dissimilar to the Commander's. With her holster and gun securely attached to her hip and knife safely in place on her calf, she pulls her knee high boots on and starts to scrape her fingers through her hair, tugging on any knots till she can drag them through without catching.

Someone taps on the fabric that covers the entrance to the tent. Clarke glances towards the sound and invites them in. Indra's figure appears through the flap and moves to face Clarke, hand on the hilt of her sword and head held high.

"The Commander has requested that you join her for breakfast." Clarke gives her a swift nod and takes a few steps towards the older warrior.

"After you, Indra." She gestures to the entrance, allowing her to leave first.

Outside, the camp is alive with the Trigedakru going about their morning tasks. Close by, there is a fire lit and a large pot hangs above it, to the side sits a table covered in bowls and plates of various fruits for the camp. As she follows Indra on their short journey up to the Commander's tent, she spies Octavia sitting on a log with her food in hand and staring into the open fire. Clarke passes by and is unsure whether the younger woman doesn't see her or purposefully pretends not to. Either way, the small wave she sends her way is not returned. A small frown appears on her face but she squashes the tingle of frustration that invades the back of her mind and continues forward.

They approach the Commanders large tent and the guards turn, allowing them to enter. A large table sits to the side and the Commander's sleeping quarters, on the far side, are hidden by a thin drape that hangs from the tents support beams. Lexa's throne is to the right, simple yet elegant in design and symbolic of the Trigedakru's way of life with branches sprouting out from back of the chair, the limbs intertwining. Lexa steps out from behind the curtain, her face cleansed of black paint and dressed in her usual attire but has foregone her armour. Green eyes seek cerulean blue and the connection returns.

"You requested my presence Commander." Lexa glances to the warrior beside her, maintaining the impassive look upon her face.

"Yes. _Bants, Indra_." The warrior bows and swiftly leaves. Lexa observes the younger girls appearance, taking in the dark circles and tired look in her eyes. "You look tired Clarke. Did you not sleep well?" Clarke sighs at her forward manor and turns slightly to avoid looking into her eyes, not being able to deny the truth in her observation.

"I haven't slept well since we landed." She says nonchalantly, but the events prior to being sent down on the drop ship begin to replay in her mind. The image of her father in the air lock chamber causes a wave of sadness to flow through her. The image is replaced by the shocked faces of her class mates as she is handcuffed and guided out of the classroom, head held high. She refused to be made the villain. Clarke is brought back by the touch of a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes refocus and see that Lexa now stands just a few feet away. "To be honest I didn't sleep well before that either." She feels Lexa's hand tighten on her reassuringly before she lets go and moves to the table, taking a seat at the top.

"Come Clarke. We shall eat now and then discuss our plans." Clarke moves and sits to the side of the table, now noticing the colourful array of food that sits upon it, bowls of fruit, vegetables and cooked meats neatly laid out at one end. Together they eat in comfortable silence, the calm of the tent surrounded by the bustle of the camp. A short while later, Lexa shifts and sits back with a cup in hand. Clarke glances up at her, observing how relaxed she looks - resting her cup upon the arm of the chair, face bare and green eyes as calm as the summer leaves they resemble in colour. "Two of my warriors arrived back from the Skaikru's camp. Your friend Raven sent with them the devices she made."

"Good. They were the last pieces we needed." Clarke swallows the food in her mouth before replying. "Now that we have them, all we can do is wait." Minutes pass and Clarke finishes her food, mirroring the Commander by relaxing back in her chair. Whilst the Commander contently continues to watch her, Clarke's eyes darts to the tent surrounding them. She stomps on the butterflies that invade her stomach, trying to keep herself calm and hopes that Lexa will not see her internal torment, just start a conversation about their battle plans.

"Young Octavia seems keen to become a warrior. Indra is one of my best, she will learn well." Clarke looks at the Commander as she speaks, then continues to glance around the room.

"Yes. Since we landed, she seems to have started a transition. The arc was not kind to her. Now, down here, she has her freedom, to an extent. She can at least make her own decisions, have a life even if she was not meant to."

"What do you mean by that?" Lexa frowns at Clarke.

"On the Arc there were many rules we had to follow. Family's were only allowed one child, to help preserve the oxygen supply. If a family had two, it was a offence and all offences committed by an adult were capital crimes. The punishment was death by being floated." She continues to explain Octavia's situation to the best of her knowledge, Lexa's expression unchanging as she learns more about the young warrior. " As far as I know, she was in hiding for around 16 years."

"That is a long time to be hiding. It helps to explain Octavia's actions and  her fierce technique during battle. Though she is loud and almost wild, she is also strong willed and does not give up easily. These are traits that will assist her during her training and will help make her a fine warrior." Clarke takes in Lexa's words, intrigued by the her observations on Octavia. Clearly Lexa is intrigued by her people too. "What about you Clarke?"

"Pardon?"

"You have previously said that the first Skaikru to land, were a group imprisoned on the Arc. You were part of that group were you not?"  She clarifies her question, hoping to ease an answer from Clarke. She finds the young woman fascinating. Those that she chooses to surround herself with seem to respect her, see her as a leader. Those that followed after, the others that landed weeks later, seem to treat her as if she was a child. Something that irritates the Commander but keeps hidden. Clarke of the Skaikru is far from the little girl her elders thought they had sent down. She is a fully grown woman in every sense of the word, from the extremely balanced and intelligent mind to the full figure she carries with grace. Clarke lets out a gentle sigh, beginning her story and letting the images pass through her mind.

"I was imprisoned for treason. My father was a engineer that found a problem with the Arc's systems. It meant that the oxygen supply was going to run out and sooner rather than later. He thought that the people should know and whilst he was filming a message to be broadcast to the people, I found him and figured it out. Before he could post it, the governors realised what he was doing and arrested him for treason. I found out in time to say goodbye before they floated him. I was arrested shortly after and imprisoned, guilty of treason." She feels the pain of her father's death sear through her once more, the wound only partially healed.

The flinch was visible to watching eyes however but Clarke does not feel the need to hide these emotions. She is not one to fully hide her feelings, but she never fully shows them either. The sense of loss that was mostly covered, runs deep to her core and such things cannot be dwelled on for too long in the minefield that is the Arc's politics and their war against the Mountain. Yet in the tent, she feels safe enough in Lexa's presence to peel back that cover a little more. A trust was being built between them that surely would grow to something more.

"I'm sorry to hear about your _nontu_ , Clarke. He died valiantly for his cause, even if it was an unnecessary death." Clarke looks to Lexa, seeing kindness and understanding in her eyes.

"Thank you Lexa."  She feels unable to pull her eyes away from Lexa.

"Clarke..." Lexa begins but loses her words. A rare glimpse of uncertainty flitters across her face and as she tries to fight it, she had stopped allowed herself to show emotion. Clarke's words from the previous night echo in her mind.. _'Life should be about more than just surviving.'_ She takes a steadying breath before continuing. "If it is not my place to be enquiring about such things, then please say. Previously you spoke of Finn, that his actions were on your behalf. You granted him compassion when sentenced to death. These are things done mostly by those who are together, partners here, on the ground. Were you together?"

Clarke eyes widen a little at Lexa being so forward. She had not expected this conversation.

"No." Clarke shakes her head, thinking back to her one night with Finn. The little comfort she had managed to take from that night had not lasted long. The betrayal of trust that followed shattered any emotion that could have grown between them. She spoke the truth to Raven when she said she barely knew him. She continues and speaks to Lexa honestly. "We were not together. We did share one night, not long after we landed, and it did nothing but offer a brief escape from the harsh reality we were faced with. He betrayed the trust of a another left behind when he did and it did nothing but ruin what little potential there was."

Lexa nods, taking in the information given and processing it. Could she allow this weakness? Whatever feeling that sparked when first meeting Clarke had grown so much, especially during the time they had spent in meetings together. However, planning and plotting an attack on a nuclear bunker did not allow much time for them to learn about each other.

"What of Bellamy?" Lexa continues. During their meeting, Clarke had spoken highly of him and his potential to achieve the task he was set. Clarke's shock turns to a small look of confusion, eyebrows pulling together as she continues to stare at Lexa. The Commander stands, walking to a side table with a spare pitcher of water and pours herself another glass. She feels her emotions growing too big whilst looking at Clarke and a little distance offers a chance to breathe.

"What about Bellamy?" Lexa feels Clarke's confused stare on her back. She turns to face her and leans back against the table. She can almost see the cogs turning in Clarke's head. The girl in question slowly sieves through what Lexa has said, piecing together her intent during her questioning. Piece by piece the puzzle begins to fit together and suddenly the final piece slips into place. Realisation grows on her face and her heart flutters a little at what Lexa is asking of her.

"Lexa.. There is no one in my life who has that place, I don't have a partner. Bellamy is just a friend." She stands from her chair and takes a small step towards Lexa. The other leader nods, a small smile appears on her face at Clarke figuring out her intentions. She is pleased that Clarke is alone in that respect and feels something pull her towards the other girl.

"Lexa, why are you asking me this?" They both know why, Clarke wants her to be open and honest with her - to tell her verbally.

"Clarke, I don't know what this is. Since Costia, I have cut all ties and forgotten what it feels like to share my life with another." Lexa takes a step forward. "I do not wish to endanger you-"

" **We** are already leading our people to war, Lexa." Clarke cuts her off, the strong, determined look she gives Lexa helps to emphasise her words. Together they lead, she will not be left behind. Lexa simply nods in understanding.

"You know Costia's story. Since then I have lived with no attachments to anyone. My priority will always be my people Clarke. However, even with all the things that have happened, I cannot help but feel some bond with you. There is something that draws me to you, Clarke of the Sky People, and it grows." Lexa takes another step forward. Clarke pauses a moment, deciding the best way to communicate her mirrored feelings.

" We both have to think of our people first. I don't know what this is either Lexa," Clarke takes a deep breath and moves forward once again, now just a few feet from Lexa. "But there is no reason why we can't figure this out together." Clarke raises her hand and takes Lexa's into her own, gently running her thumb over the soft skin of her knuckles.

Lexa looks down at their hands. She turns hers over and entwines them, enjoying the warm feeling of Clarke's hand in hers. She feels her heart swell at the knowledge that Clarke reciprocates her feelings, whatever they are. She lets the feeling course through her, and decides to go with it. She gently pulls on their joined hands, bringing them together before letting Clarke's hand go and wrapping both arms around her waist in a soft hug. She feels Clarke wrap her arms around her and lay her head upon her shoulder.

Lexa feels so much joy in the simple contact, enjoying the feeling of Clarke's warm body against her own, and a calmness washes over Clarke as she breathes in Lexa's sent. She feels safe in Lexa's arms. They enjoy the embrace for what could have been hours, but just a few minutes long. Clarke heart beat picks up a little as she lifts her head from Lexa's shoulder and looks into her green eyes once more. She raises her hand from behind Lexa and lays her hand on her soft cheek.

Eyes flicker to lips and back, slowly moving closer until they connect in a slow, soft kiss. Lexa feels the faint pressure of Clarke's lips against hers, the warm sensation spreading throughout her body. It lasts only a few long seconds but it was enough to raise the hair on her arms and send flutters through her stomach. They pull away softly and she rests her head gently against Clarke's, wanting to hold onto the moment and  just enjoy each other's presence, being wrapped up in each other's arms - safe and protected from the world.

Suddenly, they hear a bang in the distance. Both women look to the flap of the tent and Lexa's arms tighten around Clarke, pulling her close as they wait, frozen together. Seconds later, another bang sounds and the shouts of the Trikru calling for their leader, loudly follow. Lexa pulls on Clarke's arm as she begins to run from the tent and bursts through the opening of her tent to see the faces of her warriors looking to her.  She takes a few steps forward to the edge of the mound her tent sits upon and raises her arms to silence her people. Clarke observes, standing just a foot away.

" _Disha sheidgeda_ ," Lexa begins, calling out to every one of her warriors. " _Oso zog raun. Kom wor! Teik ma laud tromon-de._ "

Her short speech finishes and is followed by a chorus of cheering. Lexa feels the presence of another beside her and looks to her right. Clarke has stepped forward, now standing with her in front of her people. The young Skaiprisa's hand softly grazes the back of Lexa's, a small touch that holds so much power. Together they will conquer the mountain and together they will bring their captured friends and warriors home to safety.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bants, Indra - Leave, Indra.  
> Disha sheidgeda, - This night,  
> Oso zog raun - We strike/attack.  
> Kom wor! - To war!  
> Teik me laud tromon-de - Sound the horn.


End file.
